If I had to describe Indian very quick to anyone, I would say it is complete chaos, but a very systematic chaos.
My last stop in India was to Bangalore where I visited Kiran and Vibha, friends that I met while traveling in Egypt.
They showed me a new side of India. I ate my first meat since arriving in India, including sheep brain. We went out for some drinks and I saw 50 drunk Indians singing along to Ozzy Osbournes song, "mama, I'm coming home".
Bangalore is one of the most industrial cities in India, however by the night life you would never know it. Bars and restaurants stop serving at 11:30 on all nights. There are however 2 bars in the whole city that have bribed someone to serve alcohol until about 2am, but since they have little competition you can imagine that the prices are quite steep.
Sidenote: when I was leaving India I saw an Indian guy who looked like Rick James +50 pounds, it was awesome, I just wish I had gotten a picture.
On my busride from mysore to bangalore I talked with 4 older men for most of the 4 hours. One of them could tell you the day of the week you were born if you told him the year and date of your birthday; pretty damn cool if you ask me. They were great though and it made the journey go by quick.
Fresh fruit juice is like heaven to me, realizing my days were numbered, I drank a ridiculous amount of them in my last few days, with grape leading the pack. In those last few days my stomach was going nuts, but I didn't care, the juice was just too good when it touched your lips.
I don't remember what it is like to have a hot shower, it has been so long and you just get used to the cold shower which really wakes you up, and of course, that is if you shower at all. Also, many showers are a bucket that you fill up from the tap and then poor on yourself.
Imagine yourself on a bus and you aren't controlling your head, in other words, just letting your head sway side to side with the rock of the bus. Now, imagine a bus that is driving in quick zig-zags back and forth. Your head would sway back and forth. It is a mix between this and a bobble head to describe the number one action in India. If someone is talking to us and we agree with what they say we will nod to them. In India they do this head wiggle. Agreeing is not the only meaning, it also can be a hello or just acknowledging. There are also many degrees of the head wiggle. The more happy they are, the faster the wiggle which usually accompanies a big smile. I practiced and practiced and think I have it down a little, but it still throws me off to see, especially when someone asks a yes or no question and the reply is a wiggle which to me looks like it's in between yes and no, so I have no idea what the answer is.
It was great to see Kiran and Vibha for the last couple of days. Just familiar faces and being able to relax and enjoy their company before heading off to the new destination. They are preparing to move into a new house which has an extra room for when I come back (I thought of this, I have to run it by them again).
India was by far the most culturally different place I'd ever been. Take most things you know and turn them around and there you have India. It was a great experience which I feel I gained a lot from. I met some great people and consider myself quite lucky for opportunities I had while there. Some part drove me crazy and others I quite liked, but as I spent my first day out of the country, I feel like I will miss both equally; it is the beauty of the place.
Where else can you go to major cities and see cows and monkeys roaming the streets in the mix of the many people?
On my flight I sat next to an Indian who had never been on an international flight. When they showed the video of the guy telling people to have a good flight, wear your seatbelt and all the safety rules, he asked me if this was a tape or live? Then during the safety speech when they showed the yellow live jacket that you put on and blow to fill up with air, he exclaimed to me, "that would be useful if we land in the sea". He was dead serious. When the food and drinks came he passed because he thought we had to pay for them. He was happy we were sitting directly even with the wing so that if something happened at least we could climb out onto the wing. I felt bad bursting his bubble when I told him we couldn't fit through the window, we'd have to use the exit door. I was completely ignoring the fact that if we need that exit door, we are all gonners. I told him I was going to sleep and he told me he'd wake me. When I asked why, he said "just a kindly wake".
"Civilizations have arisen in other parts of the world. In ancient and modern times, wonderful ideas have been carried forward from one race to another...But mark you, my friends, it has been always with the blast of war trumpets and the march of embattled cohorts. Each idea had to be soaked in a deluge of blood..... Each word of power had to be followed by the groans of millions, by the wails of orphans, by the tears of widows. This, many other nations have taught; but India for thousands of years peacefully existed. Here activity prevailed when even Greece did not exist... Even earlier, when history has no record, and tradition dares not peer into the gloom of that intense past, even from until now, ideas after ideas have marched out from her, but every word has been spoken with a blessing behind it and peace before it. We, of all nations of the world, have never been a conquering race, and that blessing is on our head, and therefore we live....!"
Swami Vivekananda, Great Indian Philosopher
No comments:
Post a Comment